Month: March 2025

The need for sustainability is everywhere, including where we work.

Sustainability is an important consideration for businesses—and with good reason. From rising global temperatures to unprecedented levels of plastic pollution, we are constantly reminded of the importance of this topic

“I’m fortunate to meet with a lot of big companies every week—and this topic comes up in all my interactions,” says Snorre Kjesbu, SVP and GM of employee experiences at Cisco.

He is also fortunate in being able to help these companies out. As the person in charge of a portfolio of collaboration technologies enabling remote working and virtual meetings, he is already instrumental in helping to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to business travel.

As of 2023, 12 percent of travel volume worldwide was for business, but the level is falling thanks to videoconferencing. The technology is also helping cut emissions linked to commuting, by allowing more people to work from home.

Cutting corporate carbon footprints is “the right thing to do,” says Kjesbu. “It’s right that we use the scarce resources of the planet correctly.”

But sustainability is also often good for the bottom line. Research from an industry body called the Energy Efficiency Movement shows the industrial sector could save $437 billion by 2030 by applying efficiency measures such as digitizing machinery and processing data in the cloud.

“There is often a view that being sustainable costs more money, but that’s not the case when it comes to efficiency,” says Energy Efficiency Movement communication and marketing lead Lisa Bounoure. “Efficiency offers clear return on investment.”

For Kjesbu, this quest for efficiency does not stop at helping cut the GHG emissions involved in corporate meetings. Cisco, which has a goal to reach net zero GHG emissions across its value chain by 2040, is also striving to improve the lifecycle efficiency of its products.

As an example, 52% of the plastic in the Cisco Collaboration devices product line is post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. Kjesbu says that replaces the use of 154 tonnes of virgin plastic with plastic removed from the waste stream, an amount of plastic equal to 7 million rubber ducks per year.

The ENERGY STAR®-certified phones are also designed to require minimal amounts of metals, so even the top-end models in the series only weigh around a kilogram. Less weight means less energy is required to ship the phones in bulk, reducing supply chain costs and emissions.

In addition to using fewer materials in manufacturing, office devices are being designed to consume less energy throughout their lifecycle.. The new Cisco Board Pro, for instance, has been engineered to consume85-89 percent less power in standby mode versus Display Off.

Cutting standby power might not seem like a big deal, but all the devices currently in sleep mode around the world account for 1 percent of global carbon emissions, or about a third of the amount caused by aviation in 2023. And cutting these emissions can have a multiplier effect, says Kjesbu.

“If you use less power in sleep mode, it also means you generate less heat and so you don’t need to cool buildings as much,” he notes.

But the real prize for office sustainability is to amplify such multiplier effects with digital technology. Smart building systems can determine whether a work area is being used and—if not—shut down lighting and heating systems automatically, potentially saving massive amounts of energy.

According to the Energy Efficiency Movement, more than 40 percent of the energy used in a typical commercial building is for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)—and around 35 percent of it is wasted.

However, a digital building management system with artificial intelligence can help cut HVAC emissions by up to 40 percent, while slashing 25 percent off operating costs.

This is a remarkable sustainability gain, but Kjesbu has another sustainable office equipment design trick up his sleeve: making things last longer. “If you design products that last longer, you will buy fewer and have a smaller footprint,” he says.

“It’s a big difference if a product lasts four years or seven years,” he adds.

In taking sustainability to heart, Cisco is staying ahead of a growing workplace trend.

Sustainability is an increasingly important factor in office design,” says John Stephan, a building products and services deal advisory partner at the accountancy firm BDO.

“From building materials to office-based technologies, we are seeing a growing appetite for options that reduce waste and emissions,” he says.

As far as the planet is concerned, that is a healthy appetite indeed—and one that conscious corporations such as Cisco are happy to satisfy.

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Cummins

The Planet and Me webinar series helps professionals thrive in today’s fast-changing business landscape through focused, expert conversations. In this 30-minute episode packed with actionable insights, I spoke with Delphi Group founder Tom Kouropoulos about enhancing leadership while building innovative organizations. He shared why embracing a “license to fail” mindset drives transformative change, turning today’s uncertainties into tomorrow’s essentials. His insights on forward-thinking solutions, particularly in energy transition, offer surprising yet crucial perspectives for our future.

With 30 years of advising global organizations under his belt, Kouropoulos gets to the heart of why organizations struggle with innovation. “Everyone has to believe that they have the right to submit their ideas and that their ideas, when submitted, will find someplace to get a foothold,” Kouropoulos says. “If you don’t create that sort of a track record, people are going to get the message that it’s not their job.”

Practical approaches to build and strengthen the innovation muscle:

To build and strengthen this innovation muscle in your company, Kouropoulos advocates for two practical approaches I found particularly valuable.

Scenario-based planning builds organizational resilience and adaptability as businesses take risks to get to that next step.Building centers of competency, which are dedicated spaces for innovation within organizations. At Cummins Inc., I have seen multiple business units incorporate centers of competency to foster ideas about how best to engineer our products and services.

Tom says adopting these approaches can help businesses reimagine their innovation strategies. Here are some of his key takeaways.

Innovation is not instant – it requires cultivating a company-wide culture.Every employee needs to feel they have a license to innovate and fail.View AI as a collaborator that enhances human creativity.Measure innovation success through clear metrics and sustainable practices.

Watch the full interview to hear Kouropoulos’ insights on building innovation competency within your team, from setting parameters for acceptable failure to creating a culture where new ideas can flourish.

Men may have traditionally dominated the spirits industry, but innovators are striving to change the image of distillers. When it comes to dark, aged spirits, the challenge is two-fold, with women historically excluded as the makers – or even drinkers – of whisky, Scotch and Cognac.

The Modern Face of Whisky is striving for better. With a campaign to challenge the stereotypical image of whisky drinkers, the stock image library (created by OurWhisky Foundation) promotes the many faces of whisky enthusiasts. Challenging outdated stereotypes, a wealth of women and people of all genders, races and ages enjoying the spirit are featured in the collection. 

Now, the industry is waking up to the talent of skilled artisans – recognizing the influence and continued dominance of female distillers and blenders. Bacardi is proud to have four female Maestros shaping the future of the industry and its drinks – Stephanie Macleod, Master Blender, DEWAR’S® Scotch whisky; Anne Brock, Master Distiller, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin; Nancy Duarte, Master Blender, SANTA TERESA® rum; and Agathe Boinot, Cellar Master, D’USSÉ® Cognac, whose appointment made her the youngest female cellar master of the world’s major Cognac houses.

In 2024, Macleod was named Master Blender of the Year by the International Whisky Competition® for a sensational sixth consecutive time, and is celebrated in the DEWAR’S® “Here’s to the Story” marketing campaign, appearing in the advert as one of the inspiring storytellers and creative minds that has shaped the brand over the centuries.

“Perceptions are shifting, and now women can see the potential for a bright, exciting future career working with spirits. I’m very proud to play my part in that by nurturing future female talent in my team.” Stephanie Macleod, Master Blender Dewar’s® Scotch Whisky

Beyond championing established artisans, Bacardi is also building bridges for access. In 2025, the brand will host two all-female cohorts of its pioneering “Shake Your Future” program in India. The training is designed to help unemployed and underrepresented young adults build careers in the world of mixology. Classes help master bartending basics, covering subjects like mixology, flairing as well as complementary business areas such as personal branding, social media and communication.

The visibility of women at the top of drinks world is empowering the cohort industrywide. Today, over three quarters (76%) of women working in the beverage alcohol industry feel they can be their authentic selves at work and would encourage other women to pursue a career in the sector, according to research from Deloitte.1

Read more in Bacardi’ Limited’s 2025 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report

1. “Women Raising The Bar”, Deloitte, 2023